45 years ago, in 1976, this was a year of great sorrow for the people of the whole country. On January 8, Premier Zhou died for a long time. On April 6, Chairman Zhu De left suddenly. On September 9, Chairman Mao passed away.
Chairman Mao (1893-1976), Zi Runzhi, from Xiangtan, Hunan. Chairman Mao is a great Marxist, proletarian revolutionary, strategist, and theorist, the main creator of New China, and the greatest leader of our country. Chairman Mao also left a valuable theoretical wealth to the world-"Mao Zedong Thought."
At 0:10 on September 9, 1976, Chairman Mao passed away in Beijing at the age of 83. As a generation of great men, in order to commemorate the great achievements of a generation of leaders and let future generations feel the spiritual world of the great men, the central government decided to keep the remains of Chairman Mao for a long time, so that generations of people can see Chairman Mao's remains with their own eyes and let future generations remember Chairman Mao forever .
1. "Task No. 1"
The central government decided to organize human and material resources as soon as possible to develop a world-class crystal coffin to preserve Chairman Mao's body. On the second day of Chairman Mao’s death, Factory 608 received this particularly urgent task arranged by the superior. This is what people often call "Task No. 1".
Factory 608 is a famous optical product design and production enterprise. The products range from glasses commonly used in daily life, to various photography and photographic lenses, to high-precision products for national defense and scientific research. The glasses worn by the leaders at that time, including the magnifying glass and glasses used by Chairman Mao during his death, were all designed and produced here.
On September 10, the second day after Chairman Mao’s death, Factory 608 held an emergency meeting to convey the requirements of "Task No. 1", requesting that the design and development of the crystal coffin be proposed as soon as possible. The "Task No. 1" leading group and office were established. The whole plant is required to mobilize, working day and night, race against time, and use the best quality and the fastest speed to complete this glorious and arduous task assigned by the superior.
This urgent task, called "Task No. 1," is actually a system engineering involving a very wide range of fields, with numerous problems and extremely high technological content. First of all, it is necessary to ensure that the coffin body is majestic and majestic, so that the world will look forward to it. Second is the preservation of the remains. This is a problem in the medical field for thousands of years, involving technologies in industries such as optics, temperature, gas, and safety.
2. Antiseptic treatment of Chairman Mao's remains
Since it takes a certain amount of time to develop and manufacture the crystal coffin, it is necessary to carry out emergency medical antiseptic treatment on the remains immediately after Chairman Mao's death. This special task finally fell on Xu Jing, the first director of the Basic Medicine Group of the Medical Academy.
On the night of Chairman Mao's death, Xu Jing and several experts rushed to Chairman Mao's residence. After carefully inspecting the body, the medical expert group discussed and put forward an implementation plan. In order to preserve Mao Zedong's body for a long time, some special treatment must be carried out on the body immediately.
The superior asked Xu Jing: "The crystal coffin has not been completed yet. How confident are you in protecting the chairman's body?"
Director Xu Jing replied: "We are very sure about the preservation of the body. , But the requirements for the Chairman’s body are definitely higher. Not only must it be preserved, but it must also be lifelike, so that the people must admire it. We have never done such a difficult medical preservation, but we have formulated a plan and will do our best. I promise to complete the task."
The leader clapped and said: "I believe you, just follow your plan."
Several experts have been waiting next to the chairman's body. The blood in the body is discharged within hours. Once the blood coagulates, it will increase the difficulty of preservation of the remains. In order to make the chairman's skin color and face as lifelike as possible, they carefully observed the subtle changes in the body, such as skin color, skin toughness, and the closure of the eyes and mouth. Finally, the chairman's body was treated with a full range of antiseptic treatments, and Recorded for long-term preservation.
It was late at night on September 10th after the antiseptic treatment was completed.
After the antiseptic treatment of the remains was completed, the chairman's body was left open because the plexiglass coffin used temporarily was not ready yet. In accordance with the requirements of the experts, all indoor air-cooled equipment was activated to ensure a low-temperature environment. Experts have been staring at the indoor thermometer all the time, and dare not neglect for a moment.
At midnight on September 11, the temporary coffin cover was completed, and the body of Chairman Mao was moved into the plexiglass coffin. The problem that the experts worried was finally solved. At this time, Xu Jinghe The hanging hearts of several experts finally fell. However, this temporary plexiglass coffin is also temporary, and it is necessary to wait for the true crystal coffin to be made before it can be considered a foolproof protection.
III. The selection of the coffin
Since ancient times, in order to show their identity, ancient emperors have been very particular about the cost of eating and wearing to the coffins buried after their death. For example, in the palace, the most advanced construction material is golden nanmu . Golden nanmu ranks first among the four famous trees in my country. It has always been a special building material for the royal family to build palaces, tombs and coffins, so it is known as the "imperial tree".
Golden Phoebe is a very precious high-quality wood, and its growth stage takes 60 years. Because the luster of wood is very strong, even if it is not painted, it will become brighter as it is used. The golden nanmu will not only naturally emit a unique fragrance, but also the golden nanmu is delicate and smooth, just like the skin of a baby. It's not cold in winter, and it's not hot in summer. In addition, the golden nanmu also has the characteristics of insect-proof and fresh-keeping, and non-infestation of insects. Golden nanmu is a treasure that Chinese people are proud of.
Since the golden nanmu has so many advantages, why did not use the golden nanmu coffin for the preservation of Chairman Mao's body, but chose a crystal coffin instead?
There are three reasons:
First, this kind of crystal coffin is not ordinary crystal, and a good crystal coffin must be made of at least first-grade crystal. Compared with the golden nanmu coffin,The cost of making a crystal coffin is much higher, and this crystal coffin can isolate oxygen and maintain a vacuum state to ensure that the body is not in contact with oxygen, and it has better anti-corrosion properties.
Second, the original color of the crystal is transparent. The crystal coffin has a majestic and majestic appearance, and this transparent feature can also facilitate future generations to admire Chairman Mao's appearance. This is also the main reason why the crystal coffin is reused.
Third, the chemical composition of crystal is silica. Crystal is a crystal formed by the orderly arrangement of silica molecules under high temperature and high pressure. It has high hardness, firmness, low thermal expansion coefficient, not easy to burst, high corrosion resistance, and good light transmission.
Because of these various advantages, finally decided to use the crystal coffin.
While using crystal coffins to preserve the remains, there was no precedent in our country before 1976. Lenin in the Soviet Union, Stalin and Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam all use crystal coffins, all made in the Soviet Union. Due to the international environment at that time, it was impossible to investigate, so our researchers had to immerse themselves in research and development. The crystal coffin looks simple in structure, but the actual process is quite complicated, involving many technical fields.
Fourth, the shape and size of the coffin body
has determined the selection of materials, and then we must study the shape and size of the coffin body. To match the image of a great man, as Chairman Mao was tall and his body had to be covered with the party flag, the coffin had to have enough space. Secondly, the shape of the coffin body should be convenient for people to admire, so that people can see the most real.
Starting from September 10th, experts discussed and researched overnight. Some people sketched on paper, some people used pens to calculate the size, some people used paper boxes to make models, and some were having heated discussions. . To this end, various shapes were analyzed, and the actual effects were repeatedly tested by making models while analyzing. Everyone is holding back their energy and must design a world-class crystal coffin for Chairman Mao.
Finally, after several days of research, it was determined that the shape of the coffin was a regular trapezoid. Five crystal plates were glued to synthesize a regular trapezoid, which can achieve the required structural strength and does not require metal frame support.It is also different from the shape of Lenin and Ho Chi Minh's coffin with a metal frame, which makes the crystal coffin look more crystal clear. Because there are other optical and temperature and humidity systems in the crystal coffin to connect with the outside world, the base of the crystal coffin is marble.
Therefore, the crystal coffin body has five sides, and the bottom edge is sealed with the marble base. The thickness of the crystal coffin cover is 80 mm, the length is 2.4 meters, and the width is 1 meter.
5. Production process
The crystal coffins of Lenin, Stalin, and Ho Chi Minh are all pressed from aviation glass. There is no real crystal coffin in the world. The crystal coffins of Lenin, Stalin, and Ho Chi Minh are all pressed from aviation glass. There is no crystal coffin in the true sense in the world.
This is because of high-quality natural crystal materials, even the largest crystal is only 30-40 cm long, and Chairman Mao’s crystal coffin requires a crystal plate of 2 meters long, 1 meter wide, and 0.08 meters thick. Therefore, natural crystals are used. It is impossible to make a crystal coffin.
Faced with such a large area of crystal plate, it was indeed a technical problem for the glass factory that could only make small crystal sheets at that time. Before this, no company had smelted optical crystal glass of such a large size. Therefore, the crystal plates can only be welded piece by piece. Welding has high technical requirements. It is necessary to burn the purified crystal material into a sheet at a high temperature of 2000 degrees Celsius, and it cannot be deformed, discolored, and free of bubbles, cracks, and impurities.
Cao Jinrui, an old man who personally participated in the development of Mao Zedong’s crystal coffin, said: “The welding work is performed by an experienced veteran technician. The melting point of the crystal exceeds 2000 ℃, and the welding must be completed at the instant of melting. Using a hydrogen-oxygen flame jet lamp to keep an eye on the welding seam operation, the thick metal protective clothing was smoked, and he had to be watered by a special person, and his feet were soaked in the water. The finished crystal coffin plate, the purity of quartz powder It has reached 99.9999%, and no one in the world has produced it anymore."
On October 14, 1976, the first K9 optical glass blank in the 603 plant was precision annealed.Finally, four coffin slabs with a length of 2.5 meters, a width of 1 meter and a thickness of 0.08 meters were finally released. Upon inspection, they met the design requirements for manufacturing crystal coffins.
Some people think that a crystal coffin can be made by refining a large crystal glass plate. In fact, it is still far away. Such a large crystal plate needs to be ground, polished, and especially processed and bonded. The plane that is sealed with the coffin base requires high precision, which has not been done by the predecessors. The cutting, gluing and coating can only be carried out after the crystal plate is cold processed.
This is the preliminary production of the crystal coffin, but there are still a series of problems to be solved.
6. Lighting and appearance issues
During the process of making the crystal coffin, experts discovered new problems. The original crystal coffin had defects in optics.
First of all, the ceiling lighting in the hall alone is obviously not bright, the image is not prominent, and there are partial shadows under the illumination of the light. Secondly, under the illumination of indoor lights, reflection and refraction are prone to occur, and visual distortion occurs, which affects the viewing effect.
At first, the experts wanted to use makeup to make up for the light problem, but soon they were opposed by the medical expert Xu Jing. He believed that any cosmetics would damage the body and would not be conducive to long-term preservation. As a result, the makeup plan was cancelled.
How to make the image of a great man come alive, without the use of makeup techniques, but also to solve the light problem, which once again brought the production of the crystal coffin into a bottleneck.
In order to solve the problem of lighting and plastic surgery, various experts have put forward solutions, but they are not suitable. Until someone thought of film optics technology, experts in medicine, physics, photography, lighting, optics, etc. were invited to discuss the plan. Finally, it is determined that the method of light distribution and color matching is non-contact light plastic surgery. The advantage of this method is that it will never touch or damage the body. It is completely based on the principle of cinema optics. Soft light is added for modification.
But there is a problem,Installing a light tube on the coffin body can solve the problem, but it will increase the temperature in the coffin and affect the cooling effect. In addition, in appearance, the light tube will also affect the overall image of the crystal coffin.
Therefore, after research by physical optics experts, it was decided to use an external light source to illuminate it. The external light source is guided under the coffin plate with a light pipe, and then the light is projected through the entire end plate to the total reflection spherical mirror above the coffin cover through a light projection objective lens, and then the light is reflected on the body. Then, according to the needs of facial light energy distribution, by adjusting the angles of the light projection objective and the reflecting spherical lens, the corpse's face can be illuminated sufficiently and evenly and softly to form a real visual effect.
Maybe many people don't understand the principle, so let me explain it in plain and easy to understand.
According to the color photos of Chairman Mao before his death, the requirements of local lighting are analyzed, and the projection technology is used to reflect different light on the face of the chairman, which is equivalent to the reflection of the light of Chairman Mao’s life through Cover the chairman's face.
When people visited, they saw that the Chairman's face was still radiant and vivid. After a lot of testing, we finally achieved that although it is a corpse, through color matching and plastic surgery, the glorious image of Chairman Mao can still be reproduced.
Seven. The temperature and oxygen barrier of the crystal coffin
Although the crystal material has a certain anti-corrosion function, the crystal coffin alone cannot achieve the best anti-corrosion effect. Maintaining low temperature and oxygen isolation is the most anti-corrosion effect. The key question.
First of all, the temperature in the crystal coffin is best maintained at 6-7 degrees Celsius, which is one of the important conditions for protecting the remains. However, maintaining a constant temperature was a big problem at the time. All aspects of refrigeration and cooling experts have gathered in Beijing to manufacture the semiconductor refrigeration cooling equipment, which stabilizes the temperature in the coffin at 6-7 degrees Celsius through comprehensive cooling.
Secondly, the crystal coffin must have extremely high airtightness. The crystal coffin must be vacuum treated, and then inert gas will be injected into the crystal coffin to achieve the purpose of isolating oxygen and bacteria from the external environment. Carry out a vacuum treatment at intervals,Keep the pressure in the coffin balanced.
8. Final commissioning
From March 11 to April 8, 1977, this was the final equipment commissioning stage of the crystal coffin. After everyone’s efforts, the expected goal was achieved. The official installation of the crystal coffin on site laid a good foundation.
During this period, in order to make the various parameters of the crystal coffin reach the standard, including moisture-proof, anti-drying, anti-corrosion, anti-mildew, and anti-vibration, the experts have carried out repeated tests. Each parameter has to be tested many times. Reliable measures must be taken to ensure that there is nothing wrong with the situation, such as earthquake, war, damage, loss, etc.
Finally, in early August 1977, the crystal coffin weighing 32.2 tons finally came out, majestic and crystal clear.
Nine. Finally
In early August 1977, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall was completed.
On August 18, 1977, the crystal coffin entered the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall.
On August 20, 1977, Chairman Mao's body was moved into the crystal coffin of the Memorial Hall.
On September 9, 1977, after the 10,000-person meeting to commemorate the first anniversary of Chairman Mao's death and the completion of the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall, the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall began to receive the masses of the people, and the world can admire Chairman Mao's legacy.
After a year of hard work by many experts, scientific researchers, and production technicians, it was finally achieved as wished. Chairman Mao's body lies in a crystal clear crystal coffin, allowing people of all ethnic groups for generations. Forever and forever.
When everyone sees Chairman Mao's serene face and the crystal clear crystal coffin, and recalls the great achievements of a generation of great men, everyone is in a state of enthusiasm, and many people's eyes have been blurred by tears.
Maybe every Chinese son and daughter should go to the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall once,Feel the glory of the great leader Chairman Mao.
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